A Dwindling Flame
by Percabeth17
Summary: "Where do you think you're going?" He asked himself. "I don't know..." Running. That was all that he knew. The one thing that always helped him escape his grief. The one thing that helped him escape the shadows of his past. But will his one saving grace leave him behind like everything else?
1. Chapter 1

Title: Trust You

Summary: The Big Seven go through rough times before facing Gaea in Rome. And after the tragic death of Reyna, Leo must find ways to make it up to his dear friends from both camps. With the constant struggle on his chest, he finds a unique escape route to avoid his friends' wrath. However, out of sheer devotion towards his friends, he wishes them the best without the possible chance of him screwing up again. But, like, Percy, will the price of loyalty cause him a terrible fate or a pleasant one?

Inspiration: I really don't have one. I just always had this feeling, that Gaea wasn't done manipulating Leo, and that one day she'd push him into doing things he'd later regret. I also felt that something would happen to Frank and Leo that tests their trust with one another and I also felt that the "seventh-wheel" that Nemesis had said would come up again because of Jason and Piper. And I tried connecting it with a character death for good measures. I guess you could say my mind works in mysterious and quite scary ways.

**Chapter 1 – Third Person**

The makeshift cross stood lopsided on the unsteady cliff behind them. It stood on a mound of dirt, piled about three inches above the normal non-uprooted dirt, covering the horrendous acts that came before.

A few hundred meters down the cliff, the seven demigods plus Nico continue their journey towards their final enemy. Gaea.

Nico, Percy and Annabeth lead the way, as the others stood behind following them sullenly. Silence filled the air, and the rest of the seven avoided being too close to Leo. It stayed like that for hours, and caused Leo to stand behind the others. He hung his head low and tried desperately to keep the image out of his head.

Leo walked slower and slower, thinking softly to himself, _Would they notice if I just run? Are they planning the ways to kill me right now?_ He walked with the question hanging in his mind when he stopped to pinch himself. _What am I thinking?_

He sighed and looked to see that he was pretty far behind. He jogged up, and he shook his head trying to focus on other things.

In front of him, Nico was silently smirking to himself about the silence in the air. He stepped a few more steps when suddenly he turned to Leo. "Why so quiet, fire-boy?" He asked. "No jokes to lighten the mood?"

Everyone stopped walking and turned to face Nico and Leo, wondering why Nico would even ask such a thing. Leo looked up and felt extremely pressured, not knowing what to say. Luckily Hazel spoke up in a monotonous voice, "We don't need any jokes, Nico"

He smiled, "Why not? You all seem so glum"

Piper looked at him with red swollen eyes, "'Cause we would be _ecstatic_ after this morning"

Nico just smirked and continued, "You guys are glummer than the Underworld. I think Hades has more enthusiasm than you right now."

"Would you just shut up" Jason gritted his teeth. Nico reluctantly remained quiet, as they continued walking. No one paid any attention to Leo, and he wanted it to stay that way.

The rest of the day remained quiet until the sun had started to set. Finally, Percy had spoken up, "We should get some rest, let's make camp at that clearing up ahead"

When they reached the clearing, Hazel and Nico went to collect some rocks to make a circle, while Percy, Annabeth, and Piper went to set up their tents.

"Leo," Jason said. It was the first time Jason had made any communication towards him and Leo paid close attention. "Help me find some firewood."

"Uh, sure" Leo replied even though Jason's statement sounded more of a demand than a question.

Frank eyed them warily and whispered to Percy, "I don't trust those two alone, I'll watch them from behind"

Percy nodded, and continued helping Annabeth and Piper.

_*On the hunt for firewood…*_

Leo had bent down for his third piece of firewood when Jason cleared his throat. "Leo" Jason said bitterly with his back against Leo.

Leo looked up to see Jason tense his shoulders and hands clench tightly. "Yeah?"

A moment went by, when Jason suddenly dropped the pieces of firewood on the ground and turned on Leo. He stepped forward and got in his face. "What are you trying to do?" Leo stepped backwards instinctively to avoid his stern glare. When he didn't respond, Jason grabbed the collar of his shirt and pushed him up against the tree. Leo winced in pain.

From afar, Frank witnessed the whole thing. He didn't know what to think. He had never seen Jason this angry before, and Reyna had always said he had a nice demeanor. He bent down, hoping Jason would relax. Although Frank didn't trust Leo's fire ability, he was obliged to trust him a little. He was the one who built the ship, cooked food on a regular basis, maintained the ship and flight patterns, and also saved not only his, but Hazel's life as well. And from what he had heard from the others, Leo was very helpful in the past from their first quest.

He bent down to pick up a piece of firewood much like his own, when he heard Jason snap, "Do you not see what you've done!" Frank perked up and poked his head in the bushes to see what was going on. Frank widened his eyes when he saw Leo cradling his cheek on the ground, and Jason towering over him with his hand in mid-air. Frank was about to step forward to Jason, but Jason seemed to regain some sense back into him. Leo hadn't moved, and he seemed more downcast than ever.

Frank watched as Jason said in a quieter but firm tone, "Nobody will trust you if you keep hurting people. You should just pack up your stuff and go home" He stood there for a few moments before announcing. "I'm heading back to the campsite"

Frank stood up and as Jason was walking, he caught up to him. "Jason, don't you think you were a bit harsh on him?"

He scoffed, "Harsh? Have you forgotten this morning?"

Frank sighed, "It's not like he did this on purpose."

"Still, a murderer is a murderer. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it" Jason said calmly, then walked away. Frank stood there, wondering why he even was defending Leo in the first place. He glanced over and saw Leo slowly rise and lean himself against a tree. Although a slap to the face from your best friend was a shock, Frank wondered if he was actually alright. Surprisingly, Frank walked over to see if he was, indeed alright.

Leo hadn't looked his way, and Frank had no indication whether he was even aware of his presence. "Leo?"

"What do you want?" He said instantly, not looking up at Frank's concerned face.

Frank thought saying, _are you alright_?, was pretty lame, since he was obviously not. Instead, he said, "I heard…"

"That I'm a murderer who killed somebody? No. I killed two people actually." He muttered.

"That wasn't your fault," Frank said automatically.

Leo chuckled, "Have I not told you about my mom? Of course it was me. Who else could have been there to start the fire?"

"Gaea arranged that" Frank reasoned.

"Don't act like you know what happened that night. I didn't tell you everything about that night in the first place." He muttered. "Why are you even here? You should hate me or something."

"Why would I hate you?" Frank crossed his arms.

"I killed a roman. And I put you, your girlfriend, and everyone in danger every time I'm near them"

"Look," Frank sighed. "Jason was out of line. He didn't mean those things he said. You'd actually believe your _best_ friend would purposefully and genuinely mean that? He was just upset, and stressed out about the whole thing."

"If I killed Hazel, you'd be pissed with me too" Leo challenged. "Hell, you'd want to kill me too"

A flash of offense and disbelief spread on Frank's face. "I wouldn't want to kill you, and neither does Jason"

"He wants to get rid of me" Leo clarified, and pushed himself off the trunk of the tree. He gazed at the endless forest beside them. "Face it; he thinks it's best if I just left. I'm starting to think that it is."

"Leo," Frank said sternly remembering what Piper and Jason had told him about his foster homes. "You're not thinking about…leaving, are you?"

Leo didn't respond for a while and then whispered, "So what if I am?"

Frank contemplated his options of what to say, and then looked up when he heard Leo chuckling. "I'm stunned that you care, Frank. I find it rather funny that you of all people would ask me that"

"Leo?" Frank asked, wondering why the sudden change of mood.

"I'm heading back Frank. If you're going to keep me on short leash, let me know. I wanna be warned if you're going to watch over me like a hawk." He smiled, which made Frank even more suspicious.

_*Back at the campsite*_

They were setting up the plates, when Percy asked, "Leo? Did you want to help us with the food?"

Leo had accidentally dropped the tent he was trying to set up. He bit his lip, not knowing how to respond. Percy continued, "You don't have to if you don't want to"

"Uh…Sure, I guess" He muttered, and went back to setting up the tent.

As Leo was prepping the food, he hesitated using is hands to start a fire. He stared at the fire for a few long seconds before reaching into his tool belt. He retrieved a lighter and tried desperately to turn it on.

The others stared at him, wondering what the hell he was doing. He cursed, "It's been a while since I've used one of these…"

Eventually, after about five minutes of fumbling with the lighter, he got a fire started. "Got it!" He shouted, and started the food. After serving the seven demigods in front of him, he sighed and headed back to his tent, ready to just sleep the rest of the night away in hopes of erasing today. Before he went inside, Hazel asked, "You're not going to eat?"

Leo turned around and shrugged. "Nah. Not hungry" When he turned back around to open the flap of the tent, he heard his stomach grumble and protest.

Inside, he tossed and turned, trying to figure out what he'd do to make it up to them. Especially to Jason. His best friend was now furious with him. What was he supposed to do?

Leo thought on, and on, when he suddenly started to formulate a plan.

_Eureka_, he thought and sat straight up from his tent.

* * *

Sorry, it's a bit OOC. I'll try my best to get it write next chapter. You might notice, my Angsty Leo is showing in this. Sorry about the personality change in the end. I miserably failed to stay in character, and then tried to save it last minute. This isn't my best of work, but I'll try my best to write the next chapter better, since I like what's going to happen next. And for the some of you, this isn't going to be an FrankxLeo story.

Review, Favorite, Follow,

~Percabeth17


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2-Third person**

Leo stared at his tool belt long and hard, wondering if he should leave it behind. He had always left his belongings at the orphanages. The only thing he had kept was the last photo of him at a young age with his mom, and of course some aluminum if he got bored. He thought about it, and decided to keep it, considering it had his photo, breath mints, and his prized hammer which would be conveniently right there if he needed to defend himself. He crawled out of his tent silently as best as he could, and decided to leave the tent. He stared at the others tents and looked away, chagrined at what he was about to do. Without anything to say, he turned and sauntered off from the campsite. While walking, he stared at his hands in abhorrence, which conveyed him some unwanted memories.

_"What's this?" The taller of the boys advanced forward, his dirty blonde hair pointed straight up like stalagmite. Leo avoided his gaze, trying to cover up the photo in his hands. The other younger boys surrounded him, pressuring him as the blonde reached for the photo. "A photo?"_

_"Stop," Leo whispered, trying desperately to safeguard his precious photo. The blonde smirked and managed to grab the photo out of his hand. "Give it back!" Leo cried._

_The blonde bully stared at it and laughed torrentially. "Humph, is this your mom? Did she die? Or did she leave you because she hates you?"_

_"Give it back," Leo repeated trying to ignore his taunts. He tried to reach it, but the height disadvantage gave the bully the upper hand. He held it just above Leo's reach, and the other kids teased and prodded him as he jumped up and down, failing to grab his photo._

_After a while, the bully got bored and walked over to the fire escape, and waved the photo over the open window. "Don't!" Leo cried, and the kid smirked, releasing the photo. Leo ran for the window and jumped out without hesitation. He landed on the fire escape, and held the photo to the chest. The kids laughed and the older one told the rest, "Hurry, close the window. Get the other side. Now lock it in place!"_

_Leo got on his knees and knew exactly what was happening. It had happened before. The kids would get mad at him and shun him out, just like his relatives. But he didn't fall for it this time. Instead of pounding on the glass and waiting for one of the strict ladies to help him, he held the photo closer to his chest and whispered. "I'm sorry. I won't leave you again, mommy" He stayed there listening to the others laugh at him, and then stood up. He held his head dejectedly and turned toward the stairs that led to the ground floor. The blonde boy yelled through the glass, "Where are you going?"_

_"Where?" Leo asked himself, staring at his mother's face. "I don't know" And with that, Leo headed down the stairs. The kids yelled in protest and shouted at him to come back. "They don't care about me…" Leo told himself. "Just keep going. That's what mom always told me"_

_When Leo was on solid ground, he made a run for it. He had no idea where he was going, he was just going to do what he always does. He ran. He ran as fast and as far as his little legs could take him. Before he knew it, he rested near a dumpster. Leaning his head against the dumpster, he looked at the photo and stared at the photo, letting the memory of that night take him away. When the memory had faded, he looked at it and realized he had begun to cry. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry mom. Please. Please come back" He mumbled till the tears finally dried up. That was when he remembered what the blonde boy said. "Where are you going?" He asked, and Leo thought about, looking at the photo more. He was sitting on his mom's lap, smiling not aware of all the grease on his face._

_"Where am I going?" He asked himself. "I have no idea…"_

"Where are you going?" A voice said; dissipating the memory Leo was reliving. Startled by the voice, he whirled around, finding Frank standing there with a very concerned look on his face.

"Fr-Frank?" Leo stammered.

"Where on Earth do you think you're going?" He asked again with a more stern voice.

"H-How did you…" Leo avoided the question, for it painfully reminded him of that blonde boy.

"What you said kept me up. You never really denied that you were going to leave. Plus I could hear you from my tent" Frank said if he knew he would ask. Frank noticed that a white piece of paper fell from Leo's tool belt. Leo hadn't noticed.

Leo looked away, finding it hard to meet his gaze. Frank continued, "You didn't answer my question. Where are you going?"

"I don't know…" Leo said truthfully.

"I don't understand you." Frank spoke the truth. "You run away without a clue of where you're going. Why do you even run away? What's the point of it all?"

"I…I just," Leo faltered. "I just want to be left alone, that's all"

Frank narrowed his eyes, "Are you sure about that? It's like you're avoiding the obvious problem here. You're caught up by the grief, aren't you?"

Leo shut his eyes, "You don't understand my pain, Frank. You never will. Sure you've lost your mom, but, you still had your Grandma. You still had your relatives. I had nothing"

"Like Hell I don't understand," Frank sighed. "Of course I understand. You don't think I understand your pain? I never told you, have I? _I_ told my mom it was a bright idea to join the military. _I_ told her to leave. _ I_ told her that she should fight in the military. It was _my_ fault for her death. You don't think I understand what you're going through?"

Leo looked up, and noticed a sadder look in his eyes. "I didn't know that…"

"The thing is; why would you run away like that? Why would you let your emotions for that self-infliction get the best of you?" Frank demanded. "What will it do to make your mom's death better? You think running away will bring her back?"

Leo winced, and muttered under his breath, "Jason admitted it'd be better if I just packed up and gone home"

"Home?" Frank said incredulously. It was obvious to Leo that Frank had changed from before. "And where might that _home_ be?"

Leo remained silent as Frank continued, "Camp Half-Blood is your home. And all those demi-gods there are counting on you to return home like the rest of us _after_ we defeat Gaea. But, right now, those people sleeping in the tents over there," Frank pointed. "_That's _your home. Right there. Despite our differences Leo, you have to face it. We _are_ family, now. Despite the bad blood between Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood, we are here together. We came here, despite that ancient rivalry, and trusted one another. And it's a shame to think that this _one_ little incident is going to tear you and the rest of us apart.

I don't care what Jason thinks at the moment, because you know what? All he said was a lie. You really think he meant every single word? Isn't he the one who invited you on that first quest? Isn't he the one who first trusted you? Isn't he one of the first people who have called you a friend?"

"That doesn't matter now." Leo said sullenly. "He doesn't trust me now. He never will"

"So what?" Frank spat. "Unlike your mother's death, you _can_ regain his trust. You can always gain it back. And you know what, Leo?" He said, stepping closer to him. "At first I didn't know what to think of you. I couldn't decide whether or not to trust you. You had this habit of playing jokes and the attack on our Camp made me have no faith in you whatsoever. But right now, at this moment, I'm proud that I could finally trust you. What happened this morning was just a mistake, and after finding about your past, I realized that I'm not the only one who has issues. I will admit that I trust you. Maybe Jason, Percy, Annabeth, or the other might not trust you, but I'll tell you this. I trust you."

"You're just saying that. I don't need your sympathy. I don't need your pity" Leo argued. It was his automated message he always played when he knew someone was telling him that they were sorry for his loss. He had heard it all before. No matter how embedded the message was, he understood that it was there. That little beacon that people would signal him to cheer up.

"I can trust you," Frank said, thinking of a way to prove it to him. That was when he remembered his firewood. The piece of wood in his pocket that grew heavier and heavier. He smiled faintly.

"Stop lying" Leo nearly shouted.

"I may not be able to stop you from leaving Leo. But I'll prove to you that I can trust you." Frank drew out the piece of wood he had previously wrapped with plastic. Leo eyed him suspiciously when he realized what he had in his hands. Leo stepped back impulsively. "If I didn't trust you would I be giving this to you right now?"

Leo's mouth quivered. "You're not serious" He replied in shock.

"If you're going to leave, keep this in mind," Frank said avoiding the reason for giving the firewood to him because the answer was obvious to Frank. "What do you think the others will think when you're gone in the morning? Do you think they're just going to forget about you and carry on with this quest?"

Leo had thought he thought this through. But he was wrong. He hadn't thought about what the others would think. And the firewood in his hands felt like a grenade ready to blow.

"By the way," Frank said in a softer tone than before. He bent down and picked up the slip of paper that was lying on the floor. "You dropped this" before Frank could give it him he noticed the picture. A young boy and his mother. Without a word, Frank interpreted it as Leo and his mom. He pretended not to notice and Leo took it hastily, placing it in his tool belt.

"Thanks," Leo muttered.

"I guess I can't stop you from leaving. Just promise me you won't do anything too stupid," Frank smiled, thinking about that photo he saw.

"Can't promise you anything." Leo replied trying to use some humor. Frank thought about how old that picture could be. He thought that it must've been extremely rough to hold onto it for that long.

Without anything to say, Frank turned around, leaving Leo to decide on his own what to do. Frank walked, thinking how on Earth he was supposed to tell the others, or if he should even tell them. To make sure, Frank turned around to see if Leo was still there. But like both of their mothers, he was gone.

* * *

Hope it turned out alright. I feel like it was a bit rushed, and that Frank was a bit OOC. Leo was too, but for the sake of the story I feel he should be a bit angsty. And thanks for the reviews :) I always enjoy reviews. And I promise to update as often as I can.

Review, Favorite, Follow,

~Percabeth17


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3-Third Person**

[Technically it's sort-of in Leo's POV. It's the way Rick writes in people's POV's for the Heroes of Olympus]

Disclaimer: Don't own this quote, nor the characters.

_Don't stay in one place too long. It was the only way to stay ahead of the sadness, _Leo reminded himself. He had run for what seemed like days, but in reality was like a few hours. He had no idea where he was, all he knew was that he was far, far away from the others. Leo was tired and out of breath from all the running, but his _corazón _told him to keep going. He was just about to start jogging, when he heard a voice arising from the bushes up ahead.

He froze and listened. "Where are you headed, _mijo_?" The words made him tense up, and he eyed the bush suspiciously. From the bush Leo knew exactly who it was, even if she was wearing a veil.

"Gaea," He said. Under his breath he replied, "I'm not your _mijo." _

"Oh, but you are. I am Mother Earth after all. Mother of every living being." Her infuriating voice made Leo agitated.

"Leave me alone" He said. She took off the veil, and stepped towards him, opening her arms as if she was about to hug him. Instinctively, Leo stepped back standing his ground.

She smirked, "You act like I have something up my sleeve…"

"What do you want?" Leo demanded.

"I want you to be on my side," Gaea spoke with a beguiling voice. "After all, you are just like me. A poor innocent soul who has been backstabbed and betrayed multiple times"

Leo found it hard to keep her words away from his mind. With a slight uneasiness in his voice, he replied, "Nobody betrayed me"

"You, much like me was unaware of the blindfold wrapped around your head that your so-called friends have provided." She said. "Leo, my dear child, you were blinded by their lies and betrayal. They have always hated you, can't you see. But this can all change. I was betrayed by my husband, my brother. He hid my children, tortured them. But I have fought back. I sent my one son to destroy him. And once again I was punished, my innocent son killed in front of me. But I will strike back. I will have my revenge. And you can too. You can fight back, Leo Valdez. You can earn back the well-deserved reward. But you must fight. Isn't that what Hera has trained you for? Not to fight me young one. To fight the ones who have betrayed you. Who have lied to you and have done you wrong."

Leo took it all in; her alluring words were too strong and overpowering for Leo to tune them out. Gaea continued, "All you have to do is fight back."

"They didn't betray me…" Leo finally found his voice. "They're my friends."

"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that," She chided, as she turned around and faced the trees behind her. She raised her arms up and behind one tree appeared a tree nymph and a satyr carrying a semi-conscious male. They placed him on the ground. "What about him?"

Leo looked closer and gulped when he recognized the face. _Frank_, Leo thought. The carefully wrapped firewood in his pocket felt heavy. He reached inside and grasped it, wondering why he had even kept it. And at the moment as he stared at Frank, he wished he hadn't accepted the firewood. He could've played stubborn and made sure Frank held onto it.

"What was his name? Frank? I recall he hates you for various reasons. Your gift for the most part, and that petty girl you both like, yes?" She mocked.

Leo didn't know what to think. He wouldn't dare think that Frank would betray him, but Leo knew he did hate him for his fire ability and for holding hands with Hazel that one time. But he had explained to him. He had to understand. He wasn't trying to break them up nor hurt him. But there was that slight possibility that Frank would betray him in the back of his mind.

"Why did you bring him here?" Leo demanded with a trembling voice.

"You want revenge don't you?" She asked. "Well, you just show them, Valdez. Show them you want vengeance. You hold his greatest weakness; show them that you can be superior. Show them that you aren't the bottom of the totem pole."

Leo always had felt fine around Frank. Never had he wanted revenge on him for judging him. He didn't even remember Frank ever dissing him in front of him. But somehow, deep down Leo wanted that pride of being a superior. He craved to have that superiority within the seven. Deep down, he didn't want to be the seventh wheel. But that was when he told himself to stop thinking too much. _Don't dwell on things_, he reminded himself. Then he realized what Gaea was telling him. "You're telling me to kill him with fire?"

"Don't make it sound like such a crime" She scolded playfully, as she bent down to place her hand on Frank's face. She gracefully brought it up to reveal a huge gash on his forehead, just above his eye. Blood rolled down one side of his face. Leo clenched his fist in frustration, trying not to take out his trusty 3-pound hammer. "Your work is already half done. All you have to do is finish him while he is _this_ vulnerable."

"I won't kill him" Leo said with a louder voice.

"And why not?" Gaea said with a tempting voice letting her hand fall from Frank's face.

"I-I can't" Leo stuttered.

"My, my, you certainly are a pain, no wonder your friends hate you," Gaea said glaring daggers at him with her dark brown eyes. And that was when Leo finally snapped.

Gaea smirked as he advanced towards her with clenched fists. He got two feet away from her face when he practically growled at her, "They don't hate me, and even if they secretly did, they would never betray me. The only one who should be punished is you - no, me, for being an idiot and letting my emotions get in the way that night. It was all you, and I was stupid to believe it was entirely my fault. Frank and the others did not have _anything_ to do with that night, and this won't help me feel any better if I hurt him. It'd only make things work and if I wanted revenge, it'd be on _you_."

Leo had felt pretty great after that. He had never vented on anyone like that before, and it helped sort his emotions on the current situation. Maybe Gaea would disappear like the time she did in the porta-potty sludge. That was when he heard her snicker and say, "It's too late to take revenge on me _mijo"_

Leo frowned and noticed he was completely in flames. He gulped, and looked at Frank who had woken up at the wrong time. The firewood in Leo's pocket had no chance of survival and in mere milliseconds, Frank had caught on fire. Frank looked up with a confused and pain look as he asked, "Why…_Why_ Leo?"

Before Leo could even think up of something to say, Frank's eyes relaxed and he fell to the ground. Leo's lip quivered as he stared at the motionless body that had been one of his friends. All Leo could think of was the last look he had given him. That mixture of confusion and desperation in his eyes reminded him of something. It was exactly the same look Frank had given after Leo and Hazel had dwelled in that vision with Sammy. It almost seemed like Frank felt…betrayed. All at once Leo felt guilty, and the pressure of the guilt brought him to his knees.

A pair of hands reached Leo's cheeks, and he looked up to see Gaea smiling eerily. He had no drive to fight her off as she probed, "Oh won't you join my army, Valdez?"

He asked in a quiet and shaky voice, "What makes you think killing my friend will make me join you?"

She held out one hand, leaving the other on Leo's cheek, and showed what look like a hologram in her palm. Leo focused in on the picture, and saw another one of his friends; Piper. "If you don't join, I'll be forced to-" She warned before whispering in his ear, "Kill her"

"You-you wouldn't…"

"If you want the killing to stop, Valdez you have to do something about it." She informed. "It's simple"

Leo stared at the hologram. Behind the hologram Leo could make out Frank's body on the ground. It was clear to Leo. Nemesis wasn't done with the fortune cookie business. That price she had mentioned may not have been losing Percy and Annabeth. _True success requires sacrifice. _And that sacrifice would be…

"Me," Leo muttered. "You want me to be a part of you army in exchange for the safety of my friends?"

"Yes. I would grant the safety of yours friends, but there is one more sacrifice you must give." Gaea said.

"What?" Leo asked. "What do you want?"

Gaea smiled with that eerie sensation swarming around her. "Knowledge."

Leo thought about it. "You want me to be your spy?"

"It'd be strange for you to simply disappear from your friends. Wouldn't it?" She inquired. "So, what do you say?"

Leo stared at the hologram. And then at Frank. Then stared at the hologram again. _I'm tired of hurting the people around me_, He thought.

"I'll join." Leo said. "On one condition. You have to promise me that you will not hurt them in anyway."

"I thought we covered this, Valdez" Gaea smirked. "The deal is done. Welcome to my army."

Leo nodded, as Gaea continued with the basics. Leo zoned it out, thinking about the rest of the seven, when he listened into Gaea talking. "You should head back to camp. Don't go into detail about running away. Simply shrug their words off. Now go"

Leo looked up to see Gaea, and the hologram gone. The satyr and nymph carried Frank and dragged him to a bush.

Leo looked at the forest and started walking. _Don't dwell on things_, he thought. _Don't stay in one place too long. _

But one thing Leo should have dwelled on was that someone had been watching the whole affair from a nearby tree.

* * *

**Sorry for long wait. Let's see if anyone forgives me. If you do, guess who the mystery someone is.**

**Favorite, Follow, Review,**

**~Percabeth17**


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